2018-09-19 Hotel Turim to Hotel Da Baixa, Lisbon, Portugal
In the morning Ric ventures out of the hotel to get some coffees and croissants for our breakfastIt is a beautiful day and despite the lack of sleep due to our late arrival, we decide to get ourselves ready to check out of the hotelThe taxi driver that picked us up at the airport last night told us that there was going to be a strike for all taxi drivers in Lisbon beginning today. When we checked out of the Turim Hotel we set off on foot to find the hotel which we had booked for several nightsAs we walk towards our hotel we pass the historical landmark, Monumento aos Restauradores which memorializes the victory of the Portuguese Restoration War in the mid 1600’sA long line of taxis and striking taxi drivers surround the Praça dos Restauradores The local Police position themselves nearby in case of possible troubleThe magnificent building of Estaçao Rossio which was built in the late 1800’s, houses the railway station which is situated by Rossio SquareWe continue on, passing the National Theatre of Lisbon called Teatro Nacional D. Maria II We capture a glimpse of a popular fountain situated in Rossio SquareSoon we arrive at Hotel Da Baixa which we had booked for the coming 5 nightsFortunately our room was ready when we arrived and we were able to check in immediatelyOnce we had freshened up we decided to do a little sightseeing ….. arriving in Praça do Comercio or Commerce Square, a public square lined with shops and cafes situated by the waterIn the centre of the Praça do Comercio is the Monument to King Jose 1Later we revisit Rossio Square to find crowds of people supporting the striking taxi driversSome of the lovely buildings in Lisbon have been painted with wonderful bright colours The statue of King John 1 in Praça da Figueira with the Sao Jorge Castle on the hill in the backgroundIn the evening we head uphill by foot towards the castleThere was some amazing graffiti by the endless steps near the castle’s entranceAfter our rather energetic climb, the restaurant we were searching for was no longer thereIt was time for a refreshing Mojito and a Margarita at the Conqvistador nearbyThis small restaurant/bar in a tiny alleyway, is popular for food during the day and evening As we were heading back down the hill we came across a small boutique hotel, called Solar dos Mouros which had a small restaurant with lovely water viewsWe decide to have an early dinner for a change and enjoy the view from the ‘Terrace Panoramique’ The restaurant served some Japanese food, so we ordered some Gyozas which were freshly made and deliciousNext we had some perfectly cooked fish with freshly cooked vegetablesWe return to our hotel reasonably early to catch up on some well earned sleep
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